


Shut In

by Heyyeahitisorange



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Language, Exy (All For The Game), M/M, Neil was treated like a lab rat, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Smoking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-11-16 14:20:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20838608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heyyeahitisorange/pseuds/Heyyeahitisorange
Summary: He was once called Nathaniel, but now has to get used to the name Neil.Neil Josten had been left at a young age at an orphanage to get rid of the problem he came with. After the possibility of getting a new home Neil had reacted, but only ended up with getting caught by his father's people despite his mother's attempt at preventing it. Now, back with the man who was going to adopt him, Neil struggles to get into the hang of things. Things are difficult, but with the help of Andrew Minyard at his side and David Wymack Neil feels less shut in than he ever has in his short life.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first fic for anything so I hope you enjoy!

Neil Josten laid almost lifeless, if it weren't for the rise and fall of his chest along with the heart monitor’s reassurances of his health he would appear death like on the hospital bed. The boy, in Agent Caldell’s eyes, seemed to be fighting beneath his closed eyelids as he dreamed about the nightmare he had recently helped the boy escape from. His heart had almost broke in half when he had first caught a glimpse of the bi-colored eyes of the boy and his slight tan skin as he held a gun in the man’s direction. The fear in the boy’s eyes was apparent, but it was what made Agent Caldell think it that more dangerous. 

The boy was a part of Meridian Joseph’s foster home, but after he had gone missing thirteen years ago when a foster parent took him in, the place had ran to the Federals for help. Agent Caldell could remember the fear in the director’s eyes as he told the agents the occurrences of Neil’s disappearance. The man could hardly keep his panic contained as he recounted the story to the agents; Agent Caldell himself could feel it in his bones as he searched and searched for the boy continuously after that day. Looking at the boy now, Agent Caldell could not say the investigation was much of a success with the suspect still on the run and with the many scars the boy now held on his body. It had to be enough, he told himself, to get him out of anymore suffering and abuse from the ward.

A knock at the door startled Agent Caldell out of his stupor. He stood up with hesitance of leaving the boy’s side before the door opened to reveal his partner on the case, Agent Gutierrez, but also another man he found unrecognizable. Agent Gutierrez motioned for the man to stay in the hallway as she stepped into the hospital room and closed the door behind herself. Caldell raised questioning eyebrows at his partner earning a deep sigh in return. 

“Who was that?” Caldell questioned as he indicated the man in the hallway with a flip of his hand.

“The recruits have locked up those at the ward who did not escape into the more secure part of the penitentiary and are still on the case of how to track down the few who did escape. It seems practically impossible with the lack of remnants. The ones who weren't caught, it appears, were expecting us and left just in time. The higher ups say not to worry about the whole ordeal anymore. Says we’ve wasted enough time on the suspects as it is and need to focus on more important matters.” Gutierrez raised a hand before Caldell could interject with his outrage at the comment. “I know how you feel, but I’d have to agree with Jorge and Alana on this one. How long have we been on this one case?” She did not pause to wait for an answer before continuing. “Thirteen years, Adam, thirteen. And before you say twelve years isn’t that long just know that it is in the work we do. Understand?”

Caldell could barely contain the grimace on his face at his partner’s words. The truth in her words was hard to take, but, with a glance in the boy’s direction, it went away as though it meant nothing for him. 

“Then what will happen with Neil? Who will take care of him?” They were words which kept Agent Caldell restless throughout the entirety of the three days the boy had been unconscious. Words he was scared to question aloud only to be upset with the decision of the matter his superiors would have on it.

A small smile appeared on Gutierrez’s face as though the knowledge of her partner worrying over the boy was something she had expected. “You don’t have to worry. The man who was going to be the boy’s foster parent is out in the hallway waiting for Neil. It seems the man hadn’t been the one to pick up Neil the day the boy went missing.”

“How are you so sure? What if—”

“We’ve done a background check and everything. The man is harmless. He has a team down at PSU for the foxes and keeps up with organizations which help kids like Neil.” 

Caldell nodded his head at the information. He could not ignore the fact that he has heard of the man, especially with the fact that the majority of his players were from not so gentle backgrounds themselves yet he had been willing to take them in. He was skeptical about the man but could hardly argue when he only knew him from what the media said.

“Do I get a chance to talk to the man?” 

“Of course.” 

She went over to the door and opened it to reveal the man. David Wymack. Caldell could vaguely remember his daughter and son mentioning the man when discussing their choices for college if they were to go into school for the sport. He also vaguely remembered the amount of publicity the man gets for treating his players as though they were charity cases he only took in for the heck of it. To say the least, Caldell did not trust the man. The man, who in turn, gave an arched eyebrow at the agents direction as though he knew something they didn’t.

“Coach Wymack.” Caldell extended a sturdy hand in the older man’s direction out of habit. Wymack took the hand and gave a powerful grip with overworked hands. “They tell me you’re here to be Neil’s guardian. What makes you think you’re capable of taking in a child with such trauma?”

Wymack raked his hand through his short hair as he gave the man an assessing stare. A stare which Caldell found a familiarity in when dealing with suspects and wanted criminals. “I’m here to get Neil in order for him to be willing to be under my care. I am not here to discuss such matters to a man who is hardly in charge of the exchange.”

Caldell gave his partner a raise of his eyebrows who, in return, gave him a half-assed shrug. “What makes you say I’m not the one in charge of the exchange?” 

“They wouldn’t have let you with the way you took care of the case.” Caldell made to intercept the man’s words to only be stopped as the man continued. This time, though, the man continued as he gazed at Neil, his gaze softening. “I was at the foster building twelve years ago when Neil was barely five. They told me things, you see—the ones in charge of the system,” he amended. “They would tell me to be careful of becoming attached to the boy; said he was a slippery one, but I had only waved it off as inconvenient and unnecessary information. The kid was only four, I had thought. How hard could it be to take care of the bastard?” 

Caldell started at the rough words, but, with his partner’s firm grip on his forearm, kept his feet planted in place. He gave Wymack a flip of his hand to urge the man to continue with his sudden rant.

“I was wrong though. They would let me have sessions with the boy—some one on one, to ensure his comfort with a man my age. They did not work for a while, but eventually he’d come running to my side the times I would come on a regular weekly basis. It was around his birthday when that changed.”  
Wymack paused as he glanced out the window. At the open curtain, which was pushed aside to let light filter into the dimly lit room, with a distant look settled on his features. After a moment, he continued.

“The people in charge of Neil and I, were getting the papers ready to bring the kid to my home. When they told him, though, he ran. It was the first time I had felt such worry for someone, especially for some slippery fuck kid like this one. But I was not going to give up. He was the only thing that kept me grounded after I left training for Exy. The thought of him out there kept me going and allowed me to bring about the foxes as the years continued. I could not go without the chance of him finding me if he know I was a coach in a sport I talked to him about. I can still remember the way his small body would get excited any time I brought an Exy ball or racket; his smile would light up the whole fucking place.” His gaze returned to the two agents. It was the gaze of a man who had gone through difficulties in his life, same as Neil. A man who could understand the suffering in the world for those it was cruel to, but still treat them like he would treat any other person within his reach. It was a look of one who carried a heavy weight, but not alone, not by a long shot. 

“I’m not saying this to you guys just so you can comprehend why Neil needs a place to return to, but also for my benefit. The boy has been on my mind ever since I lost sight of him thirteen years ago and I’m stubborn as hell enough to not let that happen to me again. Not after finally having him back.” 

His stare was unwavering as he challenged Caldell who stood stock still after listening to the man’s words. It’s true, Caldell thought, he did not know Neil the way Wymack did, but for the past thirteen years he had lived with a similar thought process to the Coach’s anytime he worked on the case. He had been hard on himself, he remembered distantly. Hard on himself to find the boy who had a family, who had Coach Wymack, to go back to after the events that had occurred. Who had more to him than the name he had chosen for himself after Wymack asked him what he wanted to be called. The situation was all too utterly much for Caldell, but before he could utter a word to the coach, a slight rustle to the sheets of the hospital bed caused their heads to snap in the noise’s direction.

Neil had laid almost lifeless several minutes ago, but now he seemed to glare at the fluorescent lights of the hospital room as his body became restless. They had all stilled at the movement, unable to comprehend the idea of the boy being awake. It did not take long, though, for his partner to assess the fact that a doctor should be called for. 

Caldell stayed where he stood as he watched Wymack near the bed. Neil’s eyes followed the movement warily. His hands at his sides twitching with eagerness despite the bandages that covered the many healing cuts underneath the white cloth. 

“Don’t get near me.” His voice was raspy with the lack of use and it took a few tries for the words to come out comprehensible.

Wymack heard the words, though, and paused his long strides to obey the boy’s words. “Whatever you want, Neil.”

Neil seemed surprised at the words. Caldell could not tell if it were for the willingness of obeying his command or the name the man used towards him. 

“Neil.”

He seemed to taste the name as he said it; a foreign thing, a name he wasn’t used to being called. 

It was then when the nurses and doctors rushed into the room rushing Wymack and Caldell out in a frantic manner. 

~~~~~

Coach Wymack held a cigarette in hand as he stepped outside into the cold, harsh winter wind. He lit it up as he neared a small grey car where a woman stood. She seemed anxious as she held her phone in a tight grip, seeming to urge it for a message or a call. Coach Wymack almost wanted to laugh at the small wrinkle that appeared in the center of her forehead as she calmed herself, but knew it wasn’t the time or place.

“Abby.” Wymack whispered. 

Abby Winfield, the foxes personal nurse, leaned against her car as Wymack approached slowly. She wore a jacket that seemed cozy enough along with a hat and scarf. Wymack ignored the warmth that came as he thought of how she had come almost immediately when he had asked it of her.

“You left the monsters unsupervised?” Wymack asked.

Abby let go of the tension in her shoulders at Wymack’s words and continued with the lighthearted talk. “Don’t worry. I made sure Dan had an eye on all of them before I left. ” 

Wymack nodded his head in agreement and took a long drag of his cigarette before stubbing it out against the hospital’s parking lot. “Do you think they’ll let him come with me?”

Abby considered his question with a tilt of her head and a purse of her lips. “Do you want him to go back home with you?”

It was Wymack’s turn to consider the question. He itched to light a cigarette but pushed the urge away. He thought of kids like Neil, who did not get second chances because of where they came from or the scars they carried. Thought of the way the boy had looked when he had passed the Exy ball between each other at foster care. How his eyes lit up with delight and an excitement that had previously been foreign to the boy and now even more so after thirteen years kept in a facility which took away the delight and excitement from corner to corner. 

Wymack looked at Abby and nodded his head. He could not say that his decision would not bring about grief to his foxes or Neil, but knew he was already in too deep when he could not stop thinking of the boy within his reach. 

“Of course I want him to.” Wymack said. 

Abby searched his face and seemed satisfied when she motioned the hospital. They walked inside the building to find Caldell standing at the edge of the waiting room. He saw the man’s partner not too far from the man as she spoke with one of the hospital’s doctors. Wymack approached them when he saw the doctor give him a slight nod. 

“I assume you are David Wymack?” At his nod, the doctor continued. “Yes, well, we will have you sign some papers at the front and confirm your authority along with some medicine Neil will have to take. The directions of the substances intake will be on the document handed to you along with some allergy notifications we have found in Neil. There is also the need for Neil to go to an eye doctor for a vision test in order for him to get some prescribed glasses or contacts to wear. If you have any problems in where to go for the appointment you can ask myself or one of the secretaries in the vicinity. Any questions?” 

Wymack hardly heard the words the man uttered before facing Caldell after a brief nod in the doctor’s direction. He could not trust he heard correctly.

“You got what you wanted, I see.” The man told Wymack. 

“You’re going to let me take him?” Wymack said.

The man shrugged at the question. “The points you made were enough to convince me, but don’t let this make you believe I’m going to be lenient on you. I will check up on Neil weekly for the first month to see if he’s in safe hands, then monthly.”

Wymack frowned at the words. “Okay.” He said slowly. He was not going to let the opportunity of Neil being with him pass and question the conditions it brought. Not if it cost him bringing Neil home with him. “I understand.” 

Caldell nodded his head and left in the direction of the rooms. 

Wymack waited for several minutes before heading to the entrance of the hospital.

~~~~~

Neil. They called him Neil. Not Junior, but Neil. 

He laid still in the hospital room as he let the doctors and nurses check his healing injuries as well as his eyes and other vitally affected parts of his body. It made him itch anytime one of the doctors probed at his healing skin, but it was only natural to him by now to stay still and let them do what they will. He was unsure of the older men and women that attended him. One of the nurses even seemed to pick on the way he would twitch his fingers anytime they neared him with the raise of her eyebrows. All he could do in response was look away. 

It was not long before they advised him to go change into clothing he did not recognize as the tattered ones of the facility, but a soft knit orange sweater and black pants along with a pair of socks and underwear. He wondered where the foreign material came from, but could only assume it came from the strange man who called him Neil. 

In the bathroom he was careful to avoid his reflection. He had not seen a mirror in years, but the dread of seeing himself as the mess he was outweighed the small ounce of curiosity he held towards his appearance. He would trust that his hair was fine the way it was without a glance at the mirror, and left the small room. 

He returned to see the nurse who was cautious of any sudden contact. For a moment, he wondered why it even mattered that she would care if he wanted to be touched or not, but the once over she gave him told him enough. 

She led him out of the room and to a more open area. His doctor was not what caught his eye when he saw him at the opposite end of the room, but the man with graying hair and the permanent frown fixated on his face. The man seemed to feel the weight of his gaze and soon enough turned to face him. The man’s face became a mess of emotions at the sight of him, making him confused and question just what the expression meant. He did not have enough time to think through the meaning of the expression before both the man and his doctor were walking in his direction. 

The nurse took that as her cue to face him with a face full of determination. 

“If you ever run into trouble, come right back here to seek help from me or my coworkers. Understand?” 

They were words he was unable to understand, but it was only reflex for him to nod in response to such a question. The nurse did not seem to realize, but appeared more satisfied than anything before leaving after a quick pat to his back. 

“Neil.” 

It took a moment for him to realize he was the one being addressed making him go rigid in fear. He tended to be quick in reacting when one of the commanders at the facility addressed him as a Junior or Nathaniel, but he was never ordered with the name Neil. It was a habit he would have to force on himself, it seemed; the man seemed hell-bent on calling him by the name. 

He turned slowly to face the man who easily had several inches on him. He wondered about the difference to edge the worry slowly gnawing at him as he expected a violent reaction for not responding to his “name” fast enough. He did not get it though. All the man could do was give a quick glance before gesturing outside. He nodded his head and followed the man. The man thought it better to punish him without so many witnesses and rather outside, where not as many people roamed the area. 

They were stopped short by his doctor who held an arm out as though it were a barrier. The man obediently stopped in his tracks and raised a questioning eyebrow.

“What is it now?” 

Instead of answering the man, the doctor turned his attention on him with a look full of pity. It was a look he was not used to, but decided in the split second he had a glimpse of the look, that it was something he would rather not have directed at him. He stood tense and glanced at the ground with an uneven tap of his finger along his forearm. 

“If you ever feel in trouble, don’t feel that you can’t come here for help. Okay?” 

He did not answer to the man’s words, but the stare the doctor had on his hands made him-Neil tense up in a different way than before. He quickly stopped the movement and kept them at his sides. It was not unusual for him to be submissive under the stare of an opposing older man, but it still made him flinch each time he did so; his weakness would be easily obtained from the opposing person which made him feel uneasy as he stared at the man. Yet the man did not seem to notice the slight shift in demeanor rather more determined to emphasize the meaning behind the words. 

A sudden weight atop his shoulder was heavy yet familiar and distant. His shoulders relaxed slightly at the contact.

“He won’t have to ever feel like that, but if he does he has me he can come talk to.” A dramatic pause. “Anything else? Thought so.” 

The man than turned on his heel and stormed out of the waiting room. It took a moment before he realized that he was supposed to follow him before hastily giving a quick courtesy thanks—don’t be disrespectful, respect those above you, older than you—to the doctor and following the man. 

He looked around in wonder. He saw trees lining the parkway along with bushes and patches of grass which stubbornly peeked out from beneath the light layer of snow. He felt it had been too long since he had seen the greens of the pines or the browns from the branches along with the white of melting snow. There had been times when the guard of his ward would allow him outside, but the instances had only lasted two short minutes and with the urgency of not being caught. He remembers how the glimpse of greens and yellows as the sun encased light along the objects within its line of sight. Yet now it was different. There wasn’t an urgency as there tended to be, but a calmness. 

The man had stopped walking to check what was taking him so long only to be taken aback by the awestruck and numbing look Neil had on his face. The man seemed to have forgotten the rules of Neil being prohibited from stepping outside of any facility only if they were under specific orders to do so. He did not think it to be the reason for moving out of the hospital, but knew the rules by heart to understand the possibility of it being wrong. He wondered if this man was also disobeying orders and would soon follow the path to the basement of the facility, but quickly shoved the thought away.

The man took several steps in his direction making him still in his movements. The face the man made was one he wasn’t used to seeing before being reprimanded for doing something wrong. Instead, it looked like a familiar face of a guard who gave him kind, reassuring words before being led to the basement of the institute. The face did not only remind him of the strange guard, but also of a young man with kind eyes who knew the difficulties life can throw at someone; they were the eyes he could remember having dreams about seeing again during the rare nights he was allowed to sleep peacefully and without a fight. Neil could not help but look at the ground when seeing the expression. 

“What is it, kid? Something the matter?” The man’s voice brought about more distant dreams—or where they memories?—which Neil ignored as he paid attention to the man’s movements. It was not an unusual for guards to become violent after a showing some affection.

“No.” He let out. 

The man quirked an eyebrow as though something Neil said made him suspicious of the answer given to him. All Neil could do was look down at his feet stiffly as he awaited the man’s response. 

“Let’s get going then. There’s someone I want you to meet.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wymack introduces Neil to someone special.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A somewhat boring chapter, but I promise it will soon get more exciting.
> 
> Also, sorry for the wait, I've been stressed with college stuff.   
Haha.

The car ride was a quiet affair which wasn’t something Neil wasn’t used to, but with the knowledge of the man’s booming voice Neil found it hard in not hearing the man talk the entirety of the ride. Despite the help in buckling his seat belt from the man Neil still felt strangely off put by the man. There tended to be little to no good results when a man as big as Wymack ever acknowledged him in such a positive way. The results were always one of two options. One option was that they always seemed to listen to what the higher ups, or Neil's father, said over their overly affectionate way of treating Neil and suggesting they change that. And two being the most simplest option for Neil's father which was taking them to the basement. Neil wondered which was the better option in this situation. 

As Wymack entered an unknown parking garage next to a five story high building, Neil began to feel a sense of anxiousness overcome him. Wymack had said before entering the car that he had someone he wanted Neil to meet, but who’s to say it isn’t his father waiting within the many rooms of the building. Being told from many officials at the hospital that he was free from the institute had been ignored on Neil’s end of actually believing it. Neil was sure the fact that they were so adamant on telling him that he was free of the facility that it had to be some sort of trick making Neil raised his awareness in what Wymack was doing.

The car stopped on the first level of the parking garage as Wymack placed the car to park. Neil watched the man’s movements with suspicion he hoped wasn't evident for Wymack to take notice of. Wymack reached over for the keys in the ignition before pausing and taking a glance at Neil. Neil braced himself for what was to come from the man.

“Neil.” Wymack paused as he took a breath. “This situation you’re in is new to you and, Hell, it’s new for me too. But I want you to know, in order to make this shit work, that I’m always here to help you whenever your in a certain situation you may not like. They're going to be things you're not used to and that’s fine and shit, but if you start to struggle don't hesitate to talk to me. Okay?” 

Neil did not know how to respond to what Wymack just said, so he said what he was normally expected of him to say when directly asked a question which was, “Yes, sir.”

Wymack studied Neil’s face for signs—of what, Neil didn’t know. Wymack nodded as though he was satisfied with what he saw before motioning for Neil to unbuckle his seatbelt and exit the car. Neil stared down at the contraption feeling stuck in how to work the simple component before pressing down on the red of it. The belt made a whirring sound as it unlatched making Neil look up in surprise in Wymack’s direction. 

“Fast learner aren’t ya, kid.” Wymack noted. It wasn’t really a question so Neil didn’t respond besides the slight nod of his head.

As they walked towards the building, Neil felt himself scoot away from the man despite the previous kind words. Something about the building made him itch in anticipation for something. The anxiousness making him more suspicious of the casual manner Wymack treated him.

They entered the elevator and made it to the top floor as Neil began to tap his forefinger against his forearm. They were soon in front of a door marked with a number. Neil wondered who was behind the door waiting for him and despised himself for hoping it to be anyone besides his father even though he knew it would be him or some lackey. 

Wymack unlocked the door and revealed a mostly clean area with a couple couches worn to the bone and a coffee table. A sitting area surrounding a table sat near an open window was towards the back of the open area along with a kitchen area with an island. There was the slight scent of something bitter in the air which Neil had no recognition in smelling prior. It was a mostly used area Neil did not expect his father to use like the basement, making him curious as he took a cautious step inside. Neil paused at the threshold and examined the surrounding area to see if his father was somewhere lurking rather than expectantly waiting for him at the door. 

“Welcome to your home, Neil.” Wymack said before stepping inside and locking the door behind him. And then muttered as an afterthought. “Wonder where he went. That boy never seems to listen to me these days.” 

“Neil, you can sit on one of the couches and make yourself comfortable. I need to make a call in the other room. I won’t be long.”

Neil watched as Wymack disappeared behind a corner in the small hallway. There was a moment where Neil thought of ignoring Wymack’s words and heading for the door. The thought was fleeting for the moment, but when he sat on the couch Wymack implied he felt himself overcome with the urge to leave. He sat still for several seconds to see if the thoughts would go away, but then they came back despite his wanting to block them. 

After minutely hearing the muttering of curses from the room Wymack was in, Neil got up from where he sat. With quiet steps Neil neared the door. The unsteady beat of his heart as he did something he wasn’t supposed to do was a familiar one, but not welcomed. It reminded him slightly of when he had been caught clawing at the brick walls of the institute after a brutal training session and how he had been caught the next day, his attempt obvious with his injured hands. 

With his fingers inching towards the door’s handle, Neil heard the sound of a key being inserted on the other side and felt his heart lurch at the sound. He rushed to the couch and sat as still as possible as the door opened. 

“What the fuck, Kevin.” Wymack said as he rushed into the area, his phone still clutched in his hand. “You need to learn how to answer your phone like a fucking normal person.”

The man at the door, Kevin, was no one Neil had seen before. He was tall and had a physical built Neil would envy if it weren’t so attention grabbing. Behind him, though, were several more people Neil had no recognition of. Two similarly looking fair haired men and an overly enthusiastic slim man. It was intimidating looking at the group knowing Neil had no chance in overcoming all of them. His father would often assign a group or pair to go against Neil to help with his training, yet they had all been nonathletic and non muscular older men. The group in front of him were the exact opposite making Neil cringe away mentally. Neil was sure his father was only testing him after his mistake with the agent in the institute. 

Kevin opened his mouth to refuse, but was interrupted by one of the blond men who wore bands along his forearms. He stepped around Kevin and handed Wymack a black object similar to Wymack’s phone.

“Naughty Kevin couldn’t stop grabbing his phone any time he got a notification. Practically pissed himself when he heard you were on your way back.” The blond paused before giving a short laugh. He faced Neil as he continued. “So this is what had you two’s panties in such a twist? Doesn’t seem like much to me.”

“Andrew.” 

Kevin started but Neil didn’t hear the rest before he was focused on the man in front of him. He let himself hit the cushioning of the couch to create distance only to be followed by the blond. His eyes were dull with little interest and seemed to analyze Neil’s form as he let them roam over his obvious scars and appearance. He was styled in a negative manner with his complete black outfit making his fair hair stand out harshly. There was a hollowness in the man’s, Andrew’s, stare Neil had only seen on one other person in his life. Despite the obvious threat of Andrew entering Neil’s space, he felt a familiarity in the gaze. Neil let his stare focus on the other’s eyes to only find a small smirk contorting his face in a disturbing manner. 

“Interesting.” Andrew muttered. He stood his full height, which wasn’t much, and stepped back. Still looking at Neil Andrew said. “Well, that won’t do now won’t it?”

“What the fuck, Andrew.” The other blond said. He appeared to be a dull copy of Andrew with a permanent scowl on his face. Neil wondered momentarily if duplication was possible. “We didn’t come here to pick a fucking fight with Wymack’s kid.”

"Speak for yourself, Aaron." The slim one interjected, a peculiar expression on his face as he took in Neil's form. He continued with a suggestive note in his voice Neil couldn't help but shiver at. "But I personally wouldn't mind some rough action."

Andrew didn’t respond to his duplicate and motioned at the slim one.

"Nicky, Nicky, Nicky." Andrew cooed. "How many times do I have to repeat myself for you to not touch without permission? This won't do, will it?" Andrew seemed to mimic the act of being deep in thought as he spoke to the slim man named Nicky. "If you don't listen you'll have to face the consequences. Don't come crying to me when that happens, understand?"

There was a finality in Andrew's voice Neil has found to be similar to his father. The thought makes him recoil into the sofa as he watches the ordeal unfold. 

Ignoring his inner turmoil, Neil turns his attention to Nicky and gauges his reaction. Neil hardly understands the correlation among the group of four. There was no telling who the men were and why they had suddenly crowded into the room, yet Neil kept quiet too afraid to make the training more difficult than needed.

"You haven't answered my question, Nicky. I'm waiting." Andrew smiled, a hideous thing that completely modified Andrew's face into one of a predator's. 

Nicky appeared small as he gave a minuscule nod of his head with a simple "yes" uttered so quietly Neil strained his ears to even hear the word. 

Andrew, seemingly satisfied with his theatrics, turned to face Wymack with a more subdued version of his previous smile.

“Take the stage, Coach.” Andrew said. 

Wymack only glared in response earning him another startling cheery laugh from the blond. Instead, Wymack made his way to Neil and crouched in front of him. Neil distantly heard Kevin ushering the three into the hallway and ordering them to leave, too busy paying attention to Wymack’s proximity.

Neil, confused, watched from the corner of his eye as three of the four left the area. With the sudden loss of the three, Neil felt slightly less on guard than he had when he had been overly outnumbered. He sized up his chance against the two, yet knew the chance of surviving two tall and heavily muscled men would be slim and awaited their movement.

Wymack glanced at the door as it closed and watched as Kevin neared the two. Neil wondered about the relation between the two with how comfortable they seemed around each other, but pushed the thought to the back of his mind. Right now, Neil had to watch for signs of either them ready to cause harm to him, yet with his vision at an all time low after the attack at the institute he wondered how hard it would be to watch both of them. 

“Neil.” Wymack began. “I want you to feel safe in this apartment. You’re going to be living here for as long as you feel comfortable. I want that to be as long as possible, but that decision doesn’t depend on me. You’re about to turn eighteen several months from now and by then I think you might have a fairly decent idea on whether you’d want to stay here or not.”

Wymack paused as he rummaged in his back pocket and pulled out a key with the number the apartment door had when they entered the place. Neil looked at it and wondered how Wymack will pull off taunting him with the thing like the guards always do. But as Wymack placed the key into Neil’s palm with slow movements and the courtesy of not touching him, Neil found himself surprised more than anything.

“Kevin and I have been waiting for the day you were found and always imagined it to be when you were a little shit.” Wymack grimaced at his words but continued. “But that didn’t happen. We want you to have freedom just like any other boy your age and decided the best way to show this was through the key to the apartment.” 

Neil stared at the key in his hand in awe. He wondered what it was about the weight of the key in his hand did to make him feel stable. He couldn’t remember a time where someone gave him anything so willingly. Besides only ever having the minimal chance of possessing something such as a knife or gun during his time at the institute, Neil knew there was an obvious difference between the weapons and the key in the palm of his hand. 

There had hardly been gifts at the institute. The only source of anything solid to be held in his hands came in the form of a body to weapons to food. Neil remembered the multiple times he would ask for a small amount of extra rice in his serving and never receiving it his first few weeks at the place. The only time he would even be given extra was when clients had left their meals unfinished somewhere upstairs where his Father held multiple meetings. Even then, the amount was minimal. 

Yet, what Neil held in his hand was something more materialistic rather than consumable and able to go away like the foods and weapons. It was a key which opened an irregular amount of feeling deep within Neil, who had only ever truly known fear. The new feeling settling in his bones as they worked their way through him in a calm and warm manner. The feeling so startling that Neil began to panic at the unwelcomed emotion. 

His chest began to constrict as he breathed irregularly, yet Neil willed the sudden onslaught of emotion down. 

The expectant look on Wymack’s face made Neil struggle for a response; Neil knowing the likelihood of fucking it up with the words he gives the man.

“I…I…” Neil stuttered. 

Wymack cracked a small smile. “You don’t have to respond now, kid. You still got plenty of time until your birthday. There’s no need to rush this kind of shit.”

Wymack stood up and motioned for Kevin to say something in turn. Kevin, though only stared at Neil with an unknown look on his face, his mouth slightly agape and an upturn in his eyebrows. Kevin looked away from Neil with a sharp turn of his neck and was already heading in the direction of the door by the time Wymack made a move to prevent him. 

There was a silence that followed the slam of the door and the chatter which came from the apparent trio still at the door. It was unsettling to Neil how dramatic Kevin reacted to what Wymack had said making the previous feeling shatter as it escaped him and fell on the floor. Neil wondered if he was truly welcomed in Wymack’s home as the man said he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think!!  
Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> This story will have more than one chapter, but updates will be very irregular. Just a heads up!!


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